Saturday, November 15, 2008

This has been the most challenging piece yet, and I'm happy to finally take a break from it.

A few interesting points:- This is the first up tempo (200 bpm) tune with 2-3 bars 1/8th notes phrases. This is getting seriously fast, too fast to really have time to think. - I used my own method for learning this, as described here: http://jazzitup-knot.blogspot.com/2008/08/new-tune-learning-strategy.html - This etude is technically demanding, and introduces 2 handed lines (in octaves). This will be further studied later in a Parker blues. - One particular aspect is the sequence of close lines, followed by opened lines, forcing the hand to expand very quickly. I had to stop and study some basic arpeggios for this. There's a famous exercise that is useful, while I can't recall the composer, it involves chromatic lines followed by arpeggios.

With all of that said, the final judgment is "can it swing?". Not yet, it would if I took it down to 160 or so, but at 200, I'm still lagging technically. Getting there though.

I am seriously considering re-recording some of the earlier posts.

But for now, I have to get some Christmas music down, and make my man 7notemode proud.